Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I really like this guy’s style. From his Punchinello children’s stories to encouraging books for adults such as this one, Max always finds a way to get the heart of the reader. In Fearless, Lucado provides a very hopeful book with timeless advice that points the reader to a God as the source of all hope, no matter what the circumstance. Hard as it may be, if followed properly, this is one book that can truly help you to become “fearless”.

Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell

This great book put out by Bell is a collection of photos, personal stories and other life illustrations that drive home the point that suffering unites us as humans. Very profound in its writing style, this book also weaves in the story of how God joins us in our sufferings, and that we’re not alone. It’s a big book (literally) too, so don’t expect to be able to put it on a bookshelf! It’s best left out on a coffee table as a decoration.

O Me of Little Faith by Jason Boyett

At first glance this book would appear to jump on the trendy “doubt” bandwagon, but this one is as honest as it gets. I found myself connecting with Boyett in his confessions in many ways, and appreciated his “confession” style of writing. Rather than drive you away from God, this is one book that deals with doubt honestly and pushes the reader to seek God further, even amidst a sea of doubts.

The Message – Large Print Hardcover

Yes, I reviewed this translation of the Bible before. But this time I checked out the large print version of the Message. Where the Remix version was one that’s great for keeping in the car or just carrying on the go, this large print version is perfect for adding to a home library. Crack it open and dig into the large print text on each page. This one is easy to read, and a great one to own for anyone eager to study more of the Bible.

The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers by Cathleen Falsani

I’m not a big fan of some books that try and pull (or put) Christianity into everything related to pop-culture. Being the movie buff I am, I appreciate those books written by people who “really get” the story, rather than try and fit a certain film into THEIR worldview. This is one of those books. This one mainly deals with films made by Hollywood legends, the Coen Brothers. Warning: This book contains many spoilers so if you haven’t seen some of the films, you may want to not read about them in this book. Falsani really did her homework when it came to these movies. After reading this, you may not watch a Coen Brothers film the same way.